


Some Like it Hot

by misura



Category: Dragon's Bait - Vivian Vande Velde
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-22 06:36:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17055002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Barrista Alys makes an astonishing discovery about one of her customers.





	Some Like it Hot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kitsune_Scribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Scribe/gifts).



Alys's jaw dropped. She had always thought that was just an expression, that people's mouths didn't really fall open when they heard something astonishing, but it seemed that it was something that actually happened.

Like dragons.

She realized that Selendrile was looking at her. His expression didn't look very dragon-like, although Alys supposed that as she had never met a dragon before, she couldn't really judge.

"You burnt down several farms." None of them had belonged to anyone Alys had known herself, but she didn't think that should matter and besides, Selendrile couldn't have known that.

"Only on days when the coffee shop was closed," Selendrile said, as if that made everything better. As if not being able to get a cup of coffee made it okay to burn down farms and steal sheep and do who knew what other terrible things.

Alys wondered why he was even telling her this. None of the reasons she could think of made her feel any better.

"Humans get cranky too when they can't start their day with a cup of coffee," Selendrile said. "So why shouldn't I be allowed to do the same?"

 _Because cranky humans don't burn down farms,_ Alys wanted to say. What she said instead was, "Because the people living there haven't done anything wrong."

"I've never seen them in your coffee shop." Selendrile sounded as if this justified setting their houses on fire somehow. "Besides, I can't live on coffee alone. Would you rather I ate the farmers and left the sheep alone? After all," he added, "I'm sure _they_ haven't done anything wrong, either."

Alys was not overly tender-hearted when it came to the fate of sheep. Growing up in Saint Toby's had cured her thoroughly of any illusions regarding farm animals. "Well, no, of course not. But."

"If there is any farm in particular you do not want me to burn down, I suppose I could leave that one alone. As a special favor to you," Selendrile said. "Provided you ask me nicely."

"Next thing, you'll be asking for a discount." Alys shook her head. She might not know how to handle the revelation that Selendrile was a dragon, but she knew very well how to recognize a customer trying to wheedle something extra out of her, and she had no intention of giving in. "No."

Selendrile sighed. "You're being very suspicious. And difficult."

 _And not as scared and impressed as you wanted me to be?_ Alys shrugged. She wondered if she should find a dragon slayer. None of them had ever come to the coffee shop, though. Dragon slayers seemed to prefer taverns, where they drank beer and addressed the waiting staff as 'wenches'.

As far as Alys was concerned, Selendrile was welcome to them, and good riddance - though of course, dragon slayers were people, too. They might be rude and unpleasant and disinclined to drink coffee, but that didn't mean that they deserved to get eaten by a dragon.

On the other hand, there _was_ the bit where their job description was literally 'killing dragons'.

"And you're a dragon," Alys said.

Selendrile cocked his head at her. "And so?"

Alys considered. Selendrile always paid in coin, unlike some of the hipster merchants who insisted on paying her with pieces of paper which you could take to a bank and exchange for actual coin.

Selendrile never complained about waiting in line, or the muffins being too small, or the prices having gone up again. He was, in all ways, the perfect customer.

 _Except that he's also a dragon,_ Alys thought, but then, she was a barrista. She knew nobody was perfect, especially not before they'd had their first cup of coffee of the day.

"I'll consider expanding our opening hours," she said. Nearly all businesses were closed on Sundays. Sunday was the day people went to church, not the day people wanted to drink coffee.

"Please," Selendrile said, "don't go to any trouble on my account."

He sounded, Alys thought somewhat resentfully, amused. And maybe a little bit pleased. And possibly like she had just said exactly what he had wanted her to say.

"Of course, we may need to charge people a bit extra on Sunday mornings, what with it being a rest day and everything." Alys wondered if Selendrile had a hoard, the way dragons did in the stories.

Selendrile grinned, showing some disappointingly human-looking teeth. "Of course. I understand completely."

"Good," Alys said. "Then, excuse me while I go back to work. I'm busy."

This time, Selendrile just smiled. "Don't you want me to pay for my coffee first?"

Alys decided that if he kept smiling at her like that, dragon or not, she was going to throw a cup of lukewarm coffee into his face. "That one's a freebie. For telling me your big, dark secret." It occurred to her that she had no proof whatsoever that he had even been speaking the truth. "And for taking me flying next Sunday afternoon."

"Is that what I'm going to be doing?" Selendrile asked, eyeing the miniature pies.

"It is now," Alys said, before she turned her attention to the next customer.


End file.
